Award-winning pilot dies alongside his wife in horror plane crash as FAA blames wreck on dirty windshield
An award-winning pilot and his wife died in a tragic plane crash Wednesday – as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) blamed oil covering the windshield for their deaths.
Ron and Barbara Timmermans were flying above East Texas with their beloved dog when Ron, who was piloting the plane, declared an emergency due to engine problems.
The couple’s single-engine Beechcraft A36 hit a power line around 5:30pm and went down near Echo Lake in Brownsboro, People reported.
The duo, who owned an aviation company together, were the only people aboard the aircraft. Their beloved pooch miraculously survived the crash.
Local Mary Ann Shoulders heard the plane go down right in front of her home, just moments from a runway. She immediately called 911.
‘I saw the woman and I didn’t recognize her…’ Shoulders told KLTV. ‘The dog was alive, and so one of the neighbors took the dog to take care of.’
Officials said next of kin were alerted, and loved ones were on the way to take care of the recently orphaned pup.
An FAA report obtained by the Daily Mail listed ‘oil covering the windshield’ as the reason for the emergency.
Ron and Barbara Timmermans died in a plane crash Wednesday while their beloved dog miraculously survived
The plane ‘diverted’ and impacted powerlines before crashing to the ground, the report said.
According to flight data, the plane left from their home city of Orlando that morning before stopping 90 miles away from the crash site for fuel.
Ron was an award-winning flight instructor in 1998 and the National Certified Flight Instructor of the Year in 2021.
A spokesperson for the Florida Aviation Network, which Ron joined in 2017, told KVUE the couple will ‘be greatly missed.’
‘Ron was an important part of training hundreds of pilots over the years. He’s done hundreds of hours of interviews with people in the aviation industry,’ they said.
Ron started work as an independent flight instructor after logging more than 4,000 hours in the air.
Ron and Barbara were accompanied by their dog who survived the crash
He was best known for his involvement in the Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program and the Bonanza Pilot Training program.
On the Bonanza & Baron Pilot Training website, Ron said his wife inspired him to fly.
‘My wife, Barbara, and I often joke that she purchased a Beech Bonanza and hired me as her personal pilot,’ he wrote.
‘We both enjoy flying Bonanza N3215U from our home in Orlando and we have flown to many locations throughout the US, Canada, and the Bahamas.’
Ron worked as an architect for 40 years before taking on aviation full-time.
Ron and Barbara owned and operated the aviation company AileRon T, LLC together.
The couple owned an aviation company together called AileRon T, LLC
A spokesperson for the couple’s church in Orlando released a statement about their death
The couple’s Florida church sent out a letter to the congregation sharing the sad news of their death.
‘Ron and Barbara were a huge part of the life and ministry of Spirit of Joy,’ a spokesperson wrote.
‘I continue to cherish each story I hear of how they touched someone’s life in a deep and powerful way.’
The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the investigation and will inspect the remnants of the plane.
The Daily Mail contacted the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Aviation Network for comment.
